This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The long-term goal of this application is to develop therapies for protecting the gonadal function of children with SLE through therapeutic interventions whose beneficial effects have been verified by high-quality clinical evidence. The expected results of the current application are to determine the safety of triptorelin, its dose and the time necessary to achieve complete ovarian suppression (COS) prior to chemotherapy, as well as obtain preliminary evidence of its efficacy to provide ovarian protection for young females with SLE. The central hypothesis of this application is that triptorelin can safely achieve COS and may effectively preserve ovarian function of adolescent females with SLE requiring gonadotoxic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide. The rationale that underlies the investigation is that identification of more effective interventions to preserve ovarian function and avoid premature menopause will translate into increased fertility, fewer risk factors of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and other long-term health complications of menopause and by this lower the overall societal costs associated with SLE.